Thirty Days
by Tiny21Dancer
Summary: Bolin and Korra are perfect for each other, but that doesn't mean everything always works out. The 30 Days of Writing prompt challenge, fresh off my Tumblr. No editing, no connections. Enjoy the Borra! M because my fingers slipped and I wrote some smutty goodness.
1. Beginning

**AN:** Each of these chapters is a short piece for the 30 Days of Writing Challenge, a drabble a day kind of thing, which I participated in over on Tumblr. They're not meant to be connected - just bits, pieces, and AUs of Bolin and Korra's life together. Nothing is edited.

* * *

Bolin strolls down the arena's hallway, his helmet tucked carefully under his arm. He's a thousand miles away, thinking about their opponents - the Tigerdillos. Rough, disorganized. Weak and certainly not cool under fire. Mako will know exactly where to strike to send them into the drink. Their waterbender is skilled at smashing the earth disks, though, making him try to quickly develop a strategy to combat it. Perhaps if he strikes lower, at his legs -

"Uh, I was just looking for a bathroom when I got lost."

His step falters, broken from his thoughts. Toza is jabbing a finger at a girl in the gym. "Ah, the old 'I had to pee' excuse!"

Bolin's made his decision to help this poor fangirl. He fixes his hair and makes his way towards them. How should he play this? _Ask for a favor from Toza?_ No. _Pro-bender helping a fan, the truth?_ No. Ah! He's got it.

_Pretend to be her boyfriend._

Yes, that will work just fine.

Toza growls at her. "You know, I'm sick and tired of you kids sneaking in without paying! I'm taking you to security."

The girl panics. "No, wait!"

Showtime.

"_There_ you are! I've been looking _everywhere_ for you." He comes to stand beside her and debates kissing her cheek. No, now that he's close, he sees she's Water Tribe and very muscular. She would probably pummel him.

From far away he couldn't see how pretty she was, either. Not conventional beauty - there's a sense of untold power lurking about her, beneath smooth mocha skin and delicate features. His heart flutters a little, and he wonders what he's gotten himself into.

"It's all right, Toza." He glances at him meaningfully. "She's with me."

She catches on immediately. "Yeah, I'm with him!" she says cheerfully with a grin.

Having a little fun, he decides to push it. "So you see, we're together."

"Well, not _together_ together, more like friends."

Bolin certainly didn't expect her to debunk him like that. He scrambles to cover it up. "Right, friends. I didn't mean to imply-"

"Oh, you implied it." Sharp. But soft at the same time. He doesn't know what to make of this girl.

"Ah, I don't care what you are! I got work to do!"

He takes her out of the gym and feels himself falling for this powerful, perceptive, beautiful girl, so much more than a ditzy fangirl, a little more with every step. Somewhere, deep inside his mind, he knows that she's forever intertwined with his destiny. And this is only the beginning.


	2. Accusation

**AN:** I won't leave notes on anything else after this. To see them, please see my Tumblr. I won't give it away here, but I will if you ask nicely and privately.

* * *

Korra lets out a breathy moan, urging Mako to go faster. He happily complies. She looks ethereal, her dark hair fanned across his pillow, her cheeks flushed with arousal. Love nips that will certainly darken into hickies tomorrow dot her neck, but she doesn't seem to mind.

Mako continues to make love to the Avatar, fast but gentle. Gentle. He's so afraid of hurting her, even though she insists that she can handle anything he's got. He refuses to give in to her desires.

He's so wrapped up in her that he almost misses the soft, oh so soft whimper that escapes her lips.

"_Bo._"

Mako immediately freezes. "What?"

Korra's eyes widen in panic. "Mako, I, I-"

"No." His voice has gone cold as ice. Now rapidly softening, he pulls out of her and glares at the bedsheets. "I know what I heard."

She puts a hand on his shoulder and tries to convince him that it meant nothing.

"_Nothing?_ Korra, you said my brother's name during sex! You were thinking about him!"

Korra looks down, too, obviously guilty. But Mako catches the look in her eye - he's seen it before. In the mirror. Suddenly, it dawns on him.

"It's him. It's Bolin. You love him."

It's not a question but a statement. Korra knows that she can't hide.

"I can't help it. I've been trying to deny it for a while, but… but…"

Frustrated that she can't find the proper words, Korra rolls out of bed and pulls on her pants. While she dresses, Mako watches with sad eyes. He saw the spark between Bolin and Korra when they first met and convinced himself that it wasn't anything to worry about. And it almost worked, when Korra pursued him instead.

But that was lust. He never stood a chance against love.

She finishes dressing and leaves the apartment with a whispered, "_I'm sorry_," closing the door quietly.


	3. Restless

A piercing wail cuts through the night. Warm and comfortable in bed, Korra rolls over and mumbles, "Your turn."

"Nope," Bolin yawns. "I did it last time. And what if she's hungry?"

"Mmph." The Avatar makes a sound of resignation and wills herself to stand. Her husband opens one brilliant green eye and grins at her.

"Love you," he says, and closes the eye. Moonlight filtering in through the window highlights his most prominent scar, cutting across his shoulder to his collarbone. His police uniform couldn't protect everything.

Korra remembers the night he got that scar. She was worried out of her mind, panicking, unsure if next time he wouldn't be so lucky.

_"Bolin, what if… what if one of us doesn't come back one day?"_

_"Don't talk like that."_

_"I have to. Let's be realistic. I'm the Avatar. You're the Chief of police. Our jobs are dangerous and maybe we won't be dealing with a non-fatal wound next time."_

_"What are you getting at, Korra?"_

_"I don't want to have regrets. …Let's have a baby."_

She picks up their restless one-month old, softly cradling her in the blanket Asami sewed herself. Immediately, the baby begins to quiet. Korra lowers a strap of her nightgown and lets her child nurse.

The song starts as a hum, but soon the words flow out. It's like a distant memory, though she knows for a fact that it's never been sung to her. Softly going back and forth in the rocking chair, Korra begins to sing:

"_Leaves from the vine, falling so slow_

_Like fragile tiny shells drifting in the foam_

_Little soldier girl, come marching home_

_Brave soldier girl, comes marching home_."

The baby finishes nursing and quietly gurgles in her arms. Korra looks down; the same emerald as her father meets her, beneath wispy tufts of dark brown hair and thick, inky eyelashes. Sometimes she's in awe of this child, the perfect combination of herself and Bolin, a beautiful mix that not even the spirits could create. Carefully, the new mother presses a kiss to her forehead and sets her back down in her crib.

"Good night, Jin."

She ambles back into the bedroom and curls back up next to Bolin. He makes room for her to lie with her back facing him and wraps his arms around her. Korra settles in, so peaceful and happy like she'd never imagined she could be. He puts his mouth near Korra's ear, the scruff on his chin tickling her.

"You know, I think our daughter likes it better when I sing her 'Secret Tunnel'."


	4. Snowflake

"You mean you've never done this before?"

Bolin makes a face at Korra. "No. The snow that fell in Republic City was always dirty. I wouldn't want to be putting it in my mouth."

All day, she's been showing him around the snowy Water Tribe. He's learned how to make a snowman and throw a snowball. They attempted an igloo, which promptly caved in once Korra stopped using her waterbending. For Bolin, it's the childhood he never got - living on the streets, he and Mako spent most of the harsh winters in any burrow, bush, or box they could find. Snow was a dirty, cold menace and his memories of it were not fond. Korra's determined to teach him the joy and wonder of the fluffy white substance.

"Just stick out your tongue." Korra demonstrates, her pink tongue darting between her lips. She holds it there, foggy breaths escaping through her nostrils. After a few moments, a snowflake lands there and promptly melts. She licks her lips and smiles. "Now you try."

He's hesitant, but Bolin will do anything Korra asks him to - even something seemingly silly and unpleasant such as this. He lets his tongue into the cold, head slightly tilted back. Standing there expectantly, he wonders why Korra finds this enjoyable, but he trusts her.

A few minutes pass. Nothing.

"Am I doing it wrong?" he asks around his tongue.

"No. Just be patient."

He tries, but he just doesn't have the patience of his brother. Korra watches his face change from skeptical to irritated to upset. He draws his tongue back into his mouth and pouts, crossing his arms and looking down at the snow.

Korra presses her lips together to keep from laughing. He's too adorable, this giant boy in green glaring at the ground over not being able to catch a snowflake on his tongue.

She can't help herself. Korra trudges another few steps towards him, pushes herself onto her toes, and kisses him.

Bolin's surprised at first, but responds quickly. He kisses her back and wraps his arms around her middle so he can lift her against himself. Korra smiles against his lips, breaking away and pressing her forehead against his. He nudges her nose in an Eskimo kiss, eyes closed.

That's when she throws her arms around his neck, crushing their mouths together hard with a soft whimper. Perhaps she's too forceful, because Bolin loses his balance and falls backward into a snowdrift with an "Oof!"

Korra begins to giggle. Then chuckle. Then full on belly laugh, rolling off of Bolin's chest and clutching her sides. He laughs too, and when his mouth is open, a single snowflake meanders in from the sky.


	5. Haze

"An' then… an' then Naga went _rawwwwr_, an' then Tah-ahno went_eeeeee_ an' I says, Korrrra, you are one of a kind."

Korra laughs at the memory of her first date with Bolin, but she's worried about how his words are beginning to slur together. They've never drunk this much together. Her vision's gotten hazy around the edges, and it's hard to think for more than a few moments at a time. Reflecting on the times she had firewhiskey with the White Lotus guards, she decides that it's time to go.

She slams a few yuans on the bar and tugs on her companion's sleeve. "Bolinn. 'S late. We should go."

"Bu… I was tellin' thissh guy 'bout us. You like my stories, righ'?"

The scarred, elderly man seated at a nearby table makes a face, drinking his jasmine tea. He's deliberately silent.

Bolin leans in and whispers. "I love her, ya know."

"Come on. Common."

Korra manages to drag Bolin out of the bar. Luckily he's able to walk pretty well. He throws a giant arm over her shoulders and she blushes.

Further down the sidewalk, she spots some ominous shapes.

It looks like some of the Triple Threats, but she can't be sure. Korra grips Bolin's wrist and looks up at him. He seems to have sobered a little and noticed them, too. "I don' like this."

"What do we do?"

Now that they're somewhat closer, Korra can recognize some of them from posters she's seen around town or in the police station. Perhaps they're not out to cause trouble, but she knows that they aren't particularly fond of her or Bolin. They would probably act with aggression if they saw her out here in their part of town, and neither of them are in any condition to fight. Acting on impulse, she grabs the front of Bolin's shirt and yanks him into a narrow alley on the left with her.

They're standing front-to-front, partially hidden by darkness, but the Triple Threats have definitely noticed them taking a different path. She panics only slightly, but does the best thing she can to hide both of their faces.

Korra tangles her fingers in his turtleduck-butt hair and kisses him.

He catches on quickly and backs her up against the cold alley wall, putting his hands on either side of her head. Korra's surprised to find that she likes it - kissing Bolin, _Bolin_, the goofy earthbender who can't tell a good joke to save his life, who's wide-eyed and innocent, is sensual. He tastes of rum and firewhiskey, with earthy tones, of course.

"We need to cover our faces more," he whispers quickly after separating from her with a loud _smack_. She takes out her distinctive hair ornaments to let the locks fall around her shoulders.

"Trust me here," Bolin says, and before she can think, he grabs her by the hips, lifts her, and presses her against the wall, forcing her to wrap her legs around him. Korra hooks her ankles back behind him and mashes their faces back together. He maneuvers her head a little so their features are hidden in shadow.

The footsteps of the Triple Threats make hard noises on the pavement. Korra hears them snarl, "_Kids_," and continue on their way.

She breaks away again, drawing a ragged breath, and looks up at Bolin. His head is turned to watch the retreating thugs, but when he looks back at her, there's something different in his emerald eyes.

And it's definitely not hazy anymore.


	6. Flame

It started as a spark, when he asked her on a date - her _first_ date, and really the best one ever. They laughed and had fun and ate noodles out the wazoo. And she was honestly, truly _happy_. With him, she didn't have to try. She wasn't the Avatar, she was just_Korra_, and that was enough for him.

She thought that spark had died.

But soon, Korra found that it had ignited a tiny, flickering candle in her heart. She'd find herself affectionately smiling at the earthbender more often, seeking his presence over Mako's, Tenzin's, and even Naga's. He was her rock whenever she needed him to be and the air to lift her when she was down.

The flame swelled when things fell apart between her and his brother. He held her for hours on end, totally silent, just letting her empty her tears into his shirt while he stroked her hair. And when the tears stopped, he still held her, because he knew that letting go would mean falling apart all over again.

She was surprised the first time she watched him train for the metalbending police academy with Chief Beifong and found him attractive. Why had she never noticed the way his muscles rippled beneath his skin while he twisted the unforgiving metal or the intense focus in his green eyes? He'd plopped down next to her, sweating, hair hanging in his face, and she'd only been able to splutter a few words before bolting.

After that incident, everything about Bolin was attractive to her. His smile. His laugh. His light footsteps. Playing Pai Sho with Jinora. Visiting the homeless children with extra food and money. The way he cradled Rohan in his arms.

_He'll make a great father one day._

She found that this thought didn't startle her quite as much as it should have. Having mulled over her feelings for Bolin for some time now, she knew that she'd fallen. Hard. And thinking that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, raise children together, and share eternity, was only natural.

Of course, she had to let him know she loved him before they could get to forever.

She approached him from behind, watching the sun set over Yue Bay. Cheesy. Romantic. But somehow perfect. That flame in her heart burned a little hotter but felt more like a glow. Not a raging, consuming fire.

"_Bo?_"


	7. Formal

"Korra, honey, don't play with your hair."

Seven-year-old Korra _hmph_s and crosses her arms. She's tired and confused, this city is too bright and noisy, and this Satomobile is bouncing and smells funny. To top it off, her mother has dressed her in an ugly, uncomfortable blue dress and twisted all her hair on top of her head. _To make her pretty_, her mother had said, but Korra certainly doesn't feel pretty. She's not even sure why they need her at this dumb party, dragging her away from the sheltered oasis of the South Pole. Just because she's sometimes able to bend earth and shoot small flames out of her hands, doesn't make her anything special.

The party is everything she expected. Bad music, tacky clothes, and a whole lot of big people she doesn't know shaking her hand, treating her like a grownup. She hates it. Korra hates them, she hates the attention, she hates the flashbulbs in her face every three seconds. Fed up, Korra yanks her hand out of her mother's and darts off.

"_Korra!_"

She glances over her shoulder, but the moment she shifts focus, someone grabs the front of her dress and pulls her under the buffet table.

A little boy, perhaps her age, with big green eyes and a small gap in his teeth grins at her. "Hi! Do you want a moon peach?"

Korra's a little startled - she's never truly interacted with another child. Never had a friend. She quietly takes the fruit, hesitant, unsure of how to act.

He bites into his own. "My name's Bolin. I like to come here whenever mommy and daddy drag me to these parties."

"You come here a lot?"

"Yeah. They're bus… biz-e-ness… business people. Important, I guess."

"I get it."

"Bo!"

Another boy sticks his head under the table. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you. Mom's going crazy with worry."

"Aww, but Mako, I just met a new friend!" Bolin whines. He looks at her. "What's your name?"

"Korra."

Mako sighs. "Bolin, she's the girl they're throwing the gala for." He pulls Bolin out from under the table, then extends a hand to Korra. "I'm sorry, Miss Avatar."

She hates being called that, "Miss Avatar", as if the status makes her less Korra. Begrudgingly, she takes Mako's hand, letting him get her on her feet.

"Come on, Bo. Let's find Mom and Dad."

"Okay. Bye, Korra!" Bolin wraps her in a hug. He's warm and soft, even in the tiny tuxedo, and she blushes.

"Oh, Korra! Don't run off like that again!" Korra's mother scolds her and begins to lead her back to the important figures waiting to meet her.

But she can't help but watch the brothers as they retreat, wondering if she'll ever meet them again.

* * *

**AN:** Korra's seven, making Bolin six and Mako eight. If you're not getting what I'm implying by these ages, I believe this would've been the night The Fabulous Bending Brothers were orphaned, while walking home.

Brb, I just made myself sad. /cries into more chocolate milk


	8. Companion

"Bo?"

Korra pokes her head into his bedroom, surprised to find it empty. His bed is neatly made and a few articles of clothing lie strewn around. Pabu, however, is curled up on his pillow. She picks up the tiny fire ferret, rousing him from sleep, and looks him full in the face. "Have you seen Bolin?"

He merely cocks his head. Korra's not sure what she expected him to do and berates herself for talking to the fuzzy red animal. He twitches his ears and scampers up her arm, coming to curl around her neck.

Korra scratches Pabu between the ears and sets off again in search of Bolin. It's not like him to miss their spars; earth is arguably her weakest element, besides air, of course, and she needs to get all the practice she can. His unique, light-on-your-feet style comes in handy (_why hadn't she ever thought of it?_), but she still doesn't feel comfortable leaving her strong, rooted stance. His coaching is something she relies on.

And, honestly, she looks forward to their training sessions. Ever since things fell apart between her and Mako, she's felt lonely and just unwanted. Asami left to go patch up Future Industries, Mako joined the police, and that left her and Bolin on Air Temple Island. They'd grown inseparable, laughing late into the night, taking Naga on runs and making a point of eating at Narook's once a week. She enjoyed his companionship, offering relief from the serious, gloomy aspect of her life that was her status as the Avatar. Now that Bolin is captain of the Fire Ferrets and looking at Chief Beifong's metalbending academy, she doesn't get to see him as much. Having him all to herself, even for a few hours, has turned into a rare luxury. She will not have her time squandered.

_Perhaps he's with the kids_, she suddenly thinks. Pema and Tenzin's children cetainly enjoy his presence as much as she does. He attends countless tea parties for Ikki, plays Pai Sho with Jinora, and lets Meelo gnaw on his head for as long as he pleases.

_Mako never would've done any of that._

She surprises herself by judging Mako like that. Of course, the airbabies like him; they're just a little afraid of him. He puts off a cold vibe, and they aren't sure if they can have fun around him.

With the green-eyed earthbender, the children laugh and play, as they should during their youth. They look up to him. _Bolin really would make a great father one day._

Now, that thought makes her feel a little warm inside. She can't deny that she wants kids of her own. And she also can't deny that she's been eyeing Bolin a little more than usual, enough to the point where Ikki and Jinora have noticed and started mercilessly teasing her. Korra can honestly imagine a future with him; a delicate blue necklace resting in the hollow of her throat, cold nights spent wrapped together, his large hand over her belly, swelling outwards with a baby, _their_ baby. She knows she's supposed to be the rough, tough Avatar-in-training, but this fantasy she has is so real, so achingly close that it overshadows the darkness of her life.

But she doesn't know how he feels about her anymore, after she basically stomped all over his heart. She deeply regrets the time she wasted when her perfect guy was right in front of her. Does he still feel the same way he did on their first date, or has he moved on? She's not sure, and she doesn't know if she can handle the rejection. Korra's never had feelings this strong about anyone before, and it scares her a little.

She's so wrapped up in her own world that she almost knocks over Jinora.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

The young girl jumps back to her feet, propelled by airbending, and rubs her nose. "It's fine. I was reading and walking."

"Have you seen Bolin anywhere?"

Jinora smiles knowingly and Korra flushes.

"We have to spar!"

She points into one of the main living rooms. "I think he's in there."

"Thanks." Korra ruffles her hair, ignoring her indignant squeak, and enters the room.

What she sees causes her to pause for a moment.

Bolin is laying sprawled on a sofa, mouth open, softly snoring. He's too tall for it, making his bare feet hang over the arm. But what Korra really notices is that he's not wearing his usual green shirt, instead in the black muscle shirt that he wears under it. The top layer is thrown over Rohan, who lay curled on his chest, fast asleep. Bolin has one hand resting protectively over the baby, even as he sleeps.

She wants this.

She wants him.


	9. Move

He loves the way she moves.

Korra is a born waterbender - fluid, graceful, powerful like the tides. Watching her train with Master Katara, Bolin takes note of her light stance, so different from when she bends fire or earth. This is where she feels most comfortable. The water obeys her at a flick of the fingers, follows the smooth motions of her arms. She can stop the rain or create a hurricane. It's all at her command.

_Fascinating._

She can dance, too. One wouldn't think it, given her fiery, headfirst personality, but on the dance floor, she knows her moves. Bolin discovered this on their second date.

"Bo, let's dance!"

Bolin nearly knocks over the table as he jumps up. "Dance? You? Me?"

"Of course, silly."

They dance the Charleston and Lindy Hop, two teenagers sweating, flushed, laughing, having the time of their lives. The fast-paced music swirls around them, but it doesn't matter - they're lost in each other, in movement. Vaguely, Korra remembers a dance in a cave, children playing instruments, forming a ring.

As quickly as it appears, the memory is gone.

Then, the fast, lively music is gone, replaced by a slow dance. Korra hesitates, but Bolin simply pulls her to his chest, hands on her hips. In his embrace, she feels safe, warm, happy. She feels complete.

They are quiet, enjoying the proximity and music, until she stand on her toes to whisper in his ear.

"I love you."


	10. Silver

"It's_ impossible_ to bend pure metal."

"Uh…"

"Impossible."

"Sorry?"

Lin Beifong stares incredulously at her officer, holding the silver ring in his hand. He'd been trying to figure out how to make it fit her finger, and it just… responded. Bolin fidgets.

He doesn't know how he was able to bend a metal so pure. Apparently even the legendary Toph Beifong couldn't, and he knows he's nowhere _near_ as great as she. Perhaps it was a fluke.

But, no, it wasn't, he admits with an inward sigh. Startled by Chief Beifong, he's managed to twist the ring into a small knot. A shame, especially considering how many yuans he spent on it.

_But she's worth it._

Cheif Beifong rubs her temples. "Okay. You'll have to show me what you did sometime."

"But I-"

She ignores him. "What's the ring for?"

Bolin flushes. "I… I'm going to propose to Korra." He looks at the mangled silver in his hands. "Well, I _was_."

The chief smiles wryly, amused by this young earthbender. She doesn't usually pick favorites with her metalbending officers, but she's developed a special fondness for this one. He's bright-eyed and eager to get to work, though he hates even writing parking tickets. He'd rather just let everyone off with a warning. That naive boyishness is what she likes about him, though. It's a breath of fresh air in the stuffy, serious world of law enforcement.

"You know, my dad was Water Tribe. He proposed to my mother with an engagement necklace. Traditional. She never took it off."

"En… engagement necklace! Like Master Katara's! Of course!" Bolin pumps his fist in the air. "Why didn't I think of it?"

He jumps up and begins to pace feverishly. He mutters to himself, staring at the ground. "I need ribbon… a stone… something to attach it… what will I carve?"

Chief Beifong smiles again, happy for the loverboy. How could Korra say no?


	11. Prepared

"We have to tell somebody!"

"Bo, it's late."

"But… but… Korra, I can't just keep this to myself."

Korra sighs good-naturedly. She should've known that Bolin would want to tell the whole town, even though it was nearly midnight.

"We have seven months to tell everybody, Bo."

He suddenly jumps out of bed and begins picking up random clothes, examining them. "Do you have anything that doesn't fit?"

She blinks. "What?"

"Clothes. We can recycle them. Sew new things for the baby."

He smacks his forehead. "He'll need a crib!"

Bolin goes to the office, grabs some parchment and a fountain pen, and begins to scribble characters furiously. "Fabric… diapers… lumber… food…" He glances over at her. "Korra, what do we feed him?" His eyes look panicked.

Korra stands too and wraps her arms around her husband from behind. "Relax. We can worry about all this tomorrow, okay? I'm only two months pregnant."

Bolin exhales through his nose, turns, and puts a hand over her belly, still flat, not yet round. Sometimes she forgets how big he is - that one hand almost completely covers her midsection. "I know. I just want to be prepared."

They stand like that for a few moments, or perhaps hours, until Korra gives a little half-smile. "You said 'him'. You think we're gonna have a boy?"

"Positive."

"Come on. Let's try to get some sleep. We have a lot of people to tell."

In bed, Bolin asks, "Who's first? Mako? Your parents?"

She absently fingers her betrothal necklace. "Master Katara was the one who told me, so she's probably already told Mom and Dad. Mako, then."

"He'll pass out."

Korra snorts. "I'd like to see that."

They drift off to sleep, trying to prepare for the arrival of their baby.

Seven months later, when Korra lays in a hospital bed cradling their newborn daughter, Bolin realizes that he never did get around to making that crib. Or many clothes. But the scramble will be worth it for her - this little blue-eyed, button-nosed beauty in Korra's arms.


	12. Knowledge

"Mako, I had another dream."

The nine-year-old firebender, roused from sleep, sighs and holds his brother close to him. Bolin is only a child at the tender age of seven, and he can't help being frightened by the noises and sights of their dank alley. Often, he wakes up in tears or thrashes violently. Seeing him like this pains Mako, but there's nothing he can do.

They're on their own.

"What was it about this time, Bo?"

Bolin frowns in concentration. "I… I saw a girl. She was really pretty. And tough. Then I was talking with… with this old guy, with an arrow on his head."

Mako's taken aback. "You saw Avatar Aang?"

"I guess so?"

"Do you know who the girl was?"

"No. But… she looked my age. And she was waterbending."

Mako doesn't know what to think. Is his innocent little brother just dreaming, his vivid imagination haunting him in the night? Or are these spirits trying to contact him? If they are, why?

"Bo, I want you to tell me whenever you have one of these dreams, okay?"

"Okay." The naive boy yawns and settles back down. His brother does not find rest quite as easily.

—

Mako leaves Bolin in the alley the next day with explicit instructions not to leave, same as every day. Instead of heading off to beg or steal, however, he sets off in the direction of the Republic City Library. The statue of Councilman Sokka stands in front, scrolls tucked under his arm. The inscription states that his inspiration was the legendary library of Wan Shi Tong, and it is in memory of Professor Zei.

He scoffs._ Like any of that actually happened._

For the next few hours, he pores over every book that contains any information about the Avatars. Mako learns about Avatar Yangchen, the airbender before Aang, and Kyoshi, who had a gory habit of using the blood of her enemies as war paint and perhaps even bathwater.

Bolin mentioned that this girl was waterbending, so Mako looks up the Avatars from the Water Tribes. The last three have been men, and any of the females he can find do not seem particularly "pretty". He sighs in exasperation and rubs his temples.

_Who is she?_

—

Nine years later, Bolin heads back to the locker room before his match. He's out of it, until he hears it.

That voice.

He stops, whips his head around, and stares.

_It's her._


	13. Denial smut

__**AN:** Smut, as promised.

* * *

_Knock, knock._

Groggily, Bolin opens his eyes and tries to comprehend what's happening. The fuzzy, warped image of his room on Air Temple Island sharpens until he can see the shadowy shapes of furniture and clothing. He's still confused as to why he's up until the knocker softly slides his door open.

"Bo? Are you up?"

He'd know that voice anywhere. "Korra?"

He gets out of bed and rubs his eyes. Being on the wooden floor is still odd for him; he's used to always feeling the tiniest vibrations in the earth beneath his feet. Ignoring the feeling of blindness, he approaches the Avatar. "What are you doing here?"

Korra shuffles awkwardly in the doorway. She's dressed in a loose nightgown - _what did I think, she slept in her normal clothes?_ - with her hair down. It's longer than he thought. "I couldn't sleep."

He understands immediately. "Nightmares?"

"Uh." She sounds unsure for some reason. "Yeah. Nightmares."

Bolin wordlessly opens his arms. She accepts the embrace, relishing in the way he warms her to her toes and manages to fit her perfectly to him. Korra presses her face against his chest, grateful for the company, the affection. Growing up in a compound, almost constantly surrounded by teachers and guards, she's never had much experience with physical affection. Sure, her parents hugged her, but this is different.

"You wanna stay here tonight?" He asks. She nods, relieved that he can read her like a book. It's one of the things she likes most about Bolin - he almost automatically knows what she needs. When she needs a hug or silence or a date over noodles.

When she pulls back from him, he looks… different. Korra knew that Bolin had generous muscles, but she'd never taken the time to really _look_ at him like this. He still has the bandage on his wounded shoulder, of course, and small crisscrossing scars. With a start, she realizes she can see all this because he's not wearing a shirt - only his trousers.

She also notices that his dark hair is rumpled, hanging in his face in a mess. But his eyes are as brilliant green as ever, piercing through the darkness.

Korra had always known the earthbender was attractive, but she hasn't wanted to admit it until now.

She curls up in his bed, still warm from him. He lays down behind her, pulling the covers over them and fitting her back into the front of his body. She easily fits into this curve and appreciates the warmth he radiates.

"Where's Pabu?" Korra suddenly worries where the fire ferret is, and if she's woken him up, too.

"Outside," Bolin mumbles near her ear. "He likes to sleep near the lemurs." She feels the rumbles from his chest with speech and shivers. He thinks this means she's cold and holds her a little tighter. Soon, he's asleep, and she drifts off to his soft breaths in her ear.

—-

Once again, Korra wakes Bolin up. This time, she's moving in his arms, making soft noises through her lips. He's worried she's having another nightmare and is ready to wake her, until he hears, "Bolin…"

Korra _whimpers_ his name.

Truth be told, he's a little stunned. After pouring out his heart and making his intentions very clear, she still chose his brother. The rejection stung, but he finds himself wondering if she meant it. By the way she's moaning in her sleep, he supposes she's enjoying her dream. The dream he's in. And the various fortunetellers around Republic City do say that the dreams show subconscious desires.

He knows he wants Korra… he's wanted her for the longest time. She's special, and strong, and funny, and amazing, and beautiful, and the most _incredible_ girl in the world. There's not a thing about her that he dislikes. But since she pursued Mako, he's done his best to deny how he feels.

He's done with denial. He wants her, and she wants him.

Being bold, Bolin begins to press gentle kisses along her ear and neck, stopping for a moment to suck on her pulse point. She stops wiggling and sighs his name again.

He'll never get tired of hearing that.

He continues to kiss her neck and works his way down over her shoulders then back up to her face.

Her eyes flutter open. She's irritated that the dream is over - _it was a wonderful dream_ - until she realizes that perhaps it was not only in her imagination. She's wrapped in Bolin's arms and he's kissing her. _Kissing her_.

Fuck consequences, she's going to make her dream a reality.

She shifts and turns around so she's facing him. Bolin grins, noticing her alertness, and leans in to kiss her lips.

They kiss sweetly, innocently, gently, and it's perfect.

Then Korra, ever so impatient, twists her fingers into his hair and bites his lower lip.

Bolin growls at her - _since when can he make that sound?_ - and flips them so they're no longer on their sides and he's over her. Korra grins and lets him deepen their kiss, still gripping the roots of his hair. He traces his large hands over the curves of her breasts and hips, before scooping around her to grasp her behind.

She lets out a gasp into his mouth, and she swears she can feel him smirk.

_Two can play at this game._

She stealthily slides one leg up around his waist, hooking it there and using the power in her coiled muscles to put him on his back. She straddles his hips, looking very pleased with herself.

Bolin fingers them hem of her nightgown. "Can I…?"

They're the first words spoken during their lovemaking session, but she finds that she doesn't mind. It's just like him - considerate and asking permission, even when she's making it quite clear what she wants.

He lifts it up, and with a little help from her, slips it over her head and tosses it across the room.

She's not wearing her bindings, and her full, dusky breasts come into view. Bolin's imagined this moment for quite a bit now, but now that it's happening, he doesn't know what to do. So he stares, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish mouse.

"You can touch me, you know," she says quietly.

He looks into her eyes for affirmation before brushing the pads of his fingers across a nipple. She hisses in pleasure, so he brushes with more fingers before finally putting his whole hand around it and softly kneading.

Korra responds by grinding onto the front of his trousers, where his erection is becoming quite obvious. She builds up the friction there while he palms her breasts, heat coiling low in her belly.

She then reaches for the tie of his trousers, looking at him to make sure he wants this, too. When she sees no flicker of doubt, she unties it and wiggles his pants down his hips. He helps out by kicking them off, holding her hips to keep her steady.

Now, they're both just in their underwear. She slips hers off, and does the same for him. Korra takes a moment to observe this new part of Bolin exposed to her. His penis is larger than she imagined, though proportionate to his bulky frame. She takes it into her hands and runs them along his length.

Bolin makes a rather unmanly _Hrk!_ sound, surprised by her action, but she can see that he doesn't mind. Growing hotter in her hands, his penis is hard and thick. She makes it to the tip with her exploration and swipes her thumb over it.

"Spirits, Korra!"

Bolin sounds exasperated and looks ready to pass out. As much as she would like to continue torturing him, she has needs, too.

She lets go and crawls up closer to him. He takes the opportunity to tickle her sides and she laughs. She's never felt so safe and loved in her life. With Bolin, here, she feels like she can do anything, be anything. He's her rock and her sun. "I love you."

It slips out, but she doesn't regret it.

His answering grin is brilliant - so happy, joyful, like all his prayers had been answered. "I love you too. So much, Korra."

She kisses the tip of his nose. "You really are one of a kind."

With that, she slides backwards a little and lines him up with her entrance. He holds her hand while she sinks down, letting every inch of him fill her wetness.

The pain isn't as bad as what's been described to her. Sure, she's a little uncomfortable for a split second, but it's quickly replaced by ecstasy. She rolls her hips experimentally, earning a throaty groan from Bolin, and whimpering herself. Korra lifts herself back up and then thrusts back down.

_Ohhh._

Satisfied that she's not feeling any pain, she begins to bounce up and down on top of him faster. Bolin thrusts his hips up to meet her, reaching deep within her and causing new heights of pleasure.

As they continue, the thrusts get harder, frenzied, more like pounding. Korra tries to contain her screams, so she doesn't wake Mako and Meelo in the same dormitory. Bolin grunts every so often, a sheen of sweat everywhere from the exertion.

Then Korra stops, and he's suddenly afraid that he's hurt her. She lifts herself off of him and crawls beneath him, letting him lie over her. She spreads her knees apart.

She leans up to kiss him. "I want you on top."

Bolin willingly obliges, lining himself back up and entering her in one thrust. Korra wraps her legs back around his waist, scratching her nails across the expanse of his back with each powerful thrust into her.

He then reaches one hand between them to rub at her hypersensitized clit, and the world explodes.

Korra squeezes her eyes shut and bites her thumb, but he hears the scream in her throat as she orgasms. Feeling her walls clench around him, he follows soon after, riding out the waves of orgasm. She tries to see around the stars in her eyes but finds it difficult.

Bolin slips his penis out and collapses on the bed next to her. Both are breathing heavily and covered in sweat.

"Wow."

That's all he's able to say.

Korra rolls on to her side, leaning on an elbow. "Yup." She grins. "How dumb are we for not doing this earlier?"

He laughs. "Pretty dumb." He gathers her into his chest, holding her there safely, securely, intent on protecting her from the dangers of the night.

That is how they fall asleep, and it's also how Mako finds them in the morning.


	14. Wind

"Hey! You're Bolin, right? The earthbender? Can I touch your hair? Is that a fire ferret?"

The tiny airbender child attacks Bolin the moment he steps off the ferry to Air Temple Island. She fires off questions a mile a minute, circling him and kicking up the wind.

The older girl - Jinora, he knows, since she's just as Korra described - steps up to save him. She has a thick book tucked under her arm and a disapproving expression on her face. "Ikki, leave him alone." Jinora looks up at him and the frown melts away. "Ooh. Korra said you were cute, but she didn't say _this_ cute."

Flustered, Bolin nearly drops the bouquet he's come to give Korra. "Sh-She said what?" he squeaks.

"Nothing," Jinora replies, distracted by Pabu. "A black-footed red panda ferret! You don't see too many of these in the city. What does he eat?"

"Uh, noodles. Where's Korra?"

"She's practicing forms with Daddy," Ikki answers. "I can watch the fire ferret while you two talk."

"Thanks." Pabu scampers off his shoulder and sniffs at the small girl. She giggles, jumping up in a miniature tornado before floating back down to the earth.

Jinora observes him with her warm amber eyes, before stating, "I like you better than the firebender."

With that, the girls leave.

"Uhh.."

Bolin's not sure what to make of the children, but he likes them. He can see why Korra talks about them so much - Jinora and Ikki really are quite interesting.

He doesn't realize that he's wandered over to what looks like a large torture device until he hears Master Tenzin shouting, "Be the leaf!"

_That's a strange thing to say._

He sees a section of courtyard set up with wooden panels. They really are beautiful, carved with the symbols of the Air Nomads. But the panels seem to be charred in parts. A shame.

More importantly, the panels are _spinning_, and Korra's about to run right into them.

However, he sees her weave through the panels, using circular motions and flowing with their movements. It's much like the way she avoids the attacks sent her way in the arena. Fluid, graceful, and certainly wind-like.

She emerges from the contraption and notices Bolin watching her. She grins brilliantly and waves. "Hey!"

Suddenly bashful, he hides the flowers behind his back with one hand and waves with the other.

"Good work today, Korra. We will work more tomorrow. I'm going to go check on Pema."

Bolin remembers that Pema's expecting a baby any day.

Master Tenzin nods to him. "Good day, Bolin."

He bows. "Good day, Master Tenzin."

"Whatcha got there?" Korra reaches behind him. He hasn't even noticed her approach until she grabs the bouquet out of his hand.

"I.. uh - I wanted to give you those. For saving me from Amon. And being our waterbender and just being a totally awesome buff Avatar but still a nice girl and - "

She cuts him off. "You already brought me a flower. And a cupcake."

"Did you like it?"

Korra ducks her head. "Naga got to it before me."

He shrugs. "Well… I dunno. I saw all that stuff that what's-his-face sent you, and I thought, I want to give you things too. So I did."

He's surprised when she plants a kiss on his cheek. "You don't have to give me gifts, you know. I like you for you."

Bolin flushes red and stammers out, "I gotta feed Pabu!" and darts off towards the ferry.


	15. Order

"You're her personal protection."

Bolin blinks at Officer Song, Lin's right-hand man. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Avatar Korra. Protection. You make sure she doesn't get hurt."

"I think she's capable of-"

"You also make sure she doesn't tear up the city, fighting crime like a vigilante."

He has to admit, someone does have to keep an eye on Korra, or else she'd just waltz around, doing whatever she pleased.

"Well, I suppose I could-"

"That's an order."

—-

He's there to greet her when she steps off the Earth Kingdom boat, standing at attention, his metal armor glinting in the late afternoon sun. She looks disoriented for a moment, scanning the crowd, but then spots him. A huge smile breaks out on her face and she waves, starting to run.

He grins too and opens his arms just in time to catch her as she jumps.

"I missed you!" she blubbers into his chest plate.

She has her hair completely loose, and she's changed her outfit slightly. Colors of the different nations accent her traditional Water Tribe garb - a sash of yellow and orange, red wraps around her wrists, green ribbons woven in her hair. It all works together to make her the most beautiful girl he's ever seen.

_Woman, not girl._

She pulls away and takes his face in her hands. "Look at you! You're so tall, and… and… _beard_."

He blushes and averts his eyes. No matter how often he shaves, his beard almost immediately stubbles back up, so he's given up and let it grow. At least Korra seems to like it.

Covering up, he decides to make a smooth move. He flexes a bicep. "I know. I look good."

She loops an elbow through his free arm and looks down. "Age was kind to you."

He half-expected her to make a joke, but she just stares at the ground.

Bolin clears his throat. "Well," he begins, "I've been assigned to be your bodyguard. I'm not allowed to let you out of my sight."

"What?" she shrieks. She stops and puts her hands on her hips, glowering at him. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Bo."

He throws his hands up in an _I surrender_ gesture. "That's what I told them! Orders are orders, though, and I rather like my job."

Korra pouts for another minute, then sighs in defeat and takes his arm again. As they walk, she slips her hand down until she's holding his.

He tries to remember how to breathe. It's not easy.

"Fine. I'm just glad it's you," she admits, and rests her head on his shoulder.


	16. Thanks

"'M'fine, Korra," Bolin insists for the millionth time.

"No, you're not."

He leans heavily on her shoulder while she drags him through Republic City, back to his apartment. In the five years since she's arrived in the city, he's gotten at least six inches taller and definitely bulkier. Meanwhile, she hasn't grown a bit. This makes her task that much more difficult, as the man dwarfs her.

She's panting with exertion by the time she makes it to his place and fumbles in his pockets for his keys. Korra opens the door and a very distressed fire ferret scurries out between her feet, scrabbling up her leg and back to curl around her arm. Pabu licks at Bolin's bloody knuckles, trying to care for his master.

Korra lays him down on his bed, neatly made, though his armor is scattered haphazardly around the room. Pabu is left to pace worriedly out in the hall. She immediately sets to work unfastening his shirt, already stained with blood. She's not sure whose is where.

"Buy me a drink first," the metalbender jokes weakly.

She frowns at him, disapproving. "You're going to try to be funny at a time like this?"

"That's me. Funny Guy."

While Korra fills up the metal tub he usually uses to bathe Pabu, she ponders what he's said.

_Funny Guy_.

—-

She comes back into the room, straining under the weight of the tub, and sets it down heavily by the bed. He has no chair for her to sit in while she works, and the bed is too small to sit beside him. Korra goes with second best and climbs over Bolin, straddling his hips. He doesn't have any wounds south of his torso.

His bare chest is bruised, with lacerations from the knife the attacker was wielding. She bends some water from the tub and lets it flow around her hands until they glow blue. She places them over his wounds.

While she works, she says, "You're so much more than just the funny guy, Bolin."

He frowns at her, and opens his mouth, but she cuts him off.

"You… you make me happy. You understand everything I feel. You don't pressure me. For spirits' sake, Bolin, you almost killed a guy who hit me!"

"It was my duty to protect you."

She moves on from his chest to his badly bruised face, exchanging the used water for fresh. His green eyes watch her intently while she works on his blackened cheek and bent nose. The cut through his lip heals easily.

His hands are next. His giant, rough, fluid hands, covered in blood and split wide open. They will scar, but she tries her best to minimize the damage.

Finished, Korra lets the water drop back into the tub. "You did more than protect me. You saved me."

She puts her hands on his broad shoulders and leans down to kiss him. He accepts her, thumbs rubbing circles on her thighs, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Korra feels her heartbeat race and breathing pick up.

She breaks away and gasps for air, pressing her forehead against his. He's in a similar state, eyes closed, trying to absorb the intimacy of the moment.

"Thank you," Korra breathes, and dives back in for another kiss.


	17. Look

She loves watching him sleep.

Whenever her eyes snap open, a reflex from the whistle of the wind or a creak from Jin's bedroom, she momentarily forgets where she is, _who_ she is. But a simple turn of her head lets her look at her husband, face relaxed, deep in a dream. And she remembers.

Tonight, it's a nightmare, thankfully one where she did not thrash and scream. The new baby flutters inside of her as she sits up and she rests a hand over her swollen belly, trying to calm him. _Him._Her son.

As always, Korra shifts to get a better look at Bolin.

He's only twenty-five, but the hardships he's endured over his life have begun to show on his face. In sleep, the fine lines seem softer, and she can see his laugh lines. Korra reaches out and brushes the persistent locks of hair hanging down his forehead away. His raven hair is still styled like a turtleduck-butt, but in sleep, it's tousled, sticking out in all directions. Cute. Endearing.

Korra traces the tips of her fingers over his heavy, expressive eyebrows and down the curve oh his button nose - Jin's button nose. She thinks back on how hard she cried when she first held her daughter and saw that nose, then even harder when she opened her brilliant green eyes.

Jin also inherited his thick eyelashes, lashes that lie on his cheeks like strokes of ink. Korra touches them and his cheeks, then finally to his lips.

How many times has she kissed him now? A thousand? A million? She's not sure. But with him, there's electricity in every touch, every kiss. It's like the first time all over again.

Although, to be fair, their first kiss was a sloppy mess in the barn on Air Temple Island, with Naga looking on. They've certainly improved in technique. But Korra still feels that same giddy rush when he leans in to her, a flush on her cheeks when his breath passes across her face. She falls a little harder every time.

Satisfied, Korra lies back down, and even deep in sleep, Bolin seems to sense her. He curls an arm protectively around her, his large hand coming to lay on the swell of her tummy.

She snuggles into his side, breathing in his earthy scent tinged with the sweetness of fresh grass. Warm, safe, and content, she lets her eyes close. She has everything she needs.


	18. Summer

"So… did you like it?"

"Like it? It was great! I love ice cream. We never had it back home. Weird, considering that we lived in nothing but snow."

While Korra rambles about life in the South Pole, Bolin looks at the ground and blushes. He remembers the last time he and Korra had milkshakes together - their first date, when they had a burping contest and slurped noodles and just _clicked_. At least, to him they seemed to click. He's not sure why she agreed to this second date, especially considering she and Mako have only been apart for a few weeks now, but she seems perfectly happy.

Happy because of him.

It's dark, but the streetlights are burning brightly. The summer air warms the night comfortably. He makes a joke about the heat to Korra, and she laughs, hooking her hand through his elbow for support. When she wipes her eyes after finishing, she keeps her hand there. He feels ready to pass out.

A drop of water lands on the tip of his nose.

_Wha-_

Bolin stops in his tracks and extends his left arm, palm up, feeling more drops in it. Then, with a bolt of lightning streaking across the night followed by a magnificent clap of thunder, the skies open up. It begins to pour rain on the two teenagers.

Korra moves to bend the water away, but he stills her with a hand on her arm.

"Don't! Summer rain is amazing!"

He's got his head thrown up and has moved away so he can stretch both arms out, laughing, his clothes getting soaked. His joy is infectious, and Korra soon finds a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth until she, too, throws out her arms, hair dripping, feeling so natural and _alive_ in her element.

When she looks back at Bolin, he's regarding her strangely, and she feels her cheeks warm.

"Miss Avatar, may I have this dance?" he asks, bowing slightly, hand offered.

"But there's no music," she comments, taking the hand anyway.

Bolin gathers her up to him, wrapping one arm around her waist. "So?"

Her arm is lazily snaking over his shoulder, and she relaxes into his embrace, letting him lead them in a small, slow circle. They dance in the middle of the street, soaking wet, completely peaceful.

After a few minutes, her head is resting on his chest, and she can hear low rumbles within. He's humming.

She doesn't know the tune, but it sounds like a lullaby. _Beautiful_.

Korra's not sure she can remember ever feeling so happy. So safe. He's everything she wants and more. Why did she never realize this earlier?

Stopping the dance, she pushes herself onto her toes.

"What's wro- _mmph!_"

She cuts him off, kissing him soundly. It takes a moment, but he kisses her back, wrapping both arms around her to pull her closer. Korra very nearly melts.

In the pouring rain, they are not the brash young Avatar, or the orphaned street rat - they are just Bolin and Korra, two kids, in love.


	19. Transformation

He sits at the table with a cup of coffee, brewed black as night in hopes of clearing the fog from his mind. Rubbing at his eyes, he opens up today's copy of _United Daily News. _On the front page is a photo of Asami Sato, smiling as she cuts the ribbon in front of Future Industries' brand new factory. General Iroh stands at her side, beaming, proud of her. More so than anyone else. He's been her support the entire time she's been working to build her father's company back up.

Even in greyscale, the diamond ring on her finger manages to sparkle.

Bolin smiles to himself, blowing on the hot coffee before taking a sip. He remembers picking her up in an enormous bear hug when she announced the engagement. After the confusing split with Mako, he'd been worried sick about her, but was ecstatic to see her so happy. In love. She deserved it.

He flips the page, but nothing stands out. Pro-bending results, mostly. He can't bring himself to follow the sport anymore now that he doesn't play.

Bolin turns another page. The coffee is half gone.

A large picture takes up most of the page. He can instantly tell that it's Korra, her long hair braided down her back, in a simple gown. She's at the gala to celebrate the opening of Asami's factory, which happened two days ago. Korra's dancing with someone, a candid shot, her eyes closed. She has a small smile on her face, like nothing else in the world matters.

Then he realizes that the person dancing with her is _him_.

Bolin only managed to grab Korra for one dance, the last one of the night, which she promised to save for him. They were both exhausted, but the song was beautiful and soothing.

He takes a closer look at the photo, then leans back and covers his face in mortification. The way he's looking at Korra in there… he looks like a love-struck fool. Staring at her, grinning like a maniac. It's clear as day on his face that he's in love with her.

So many people read the _United Daily_. All of them will see this photo, captioned _Avatar Korra and friend attend the Future Industries Gala in Republic City Saturday night._

_And friend._

Is that all he is? Does no one know who Officer Bolin is? Lin is practically ready to promote him to Chief!

Seeing himself like that, he feels inferior. He's not good enough for Korra. This is why she went for Mako (_but, of course, that didn't work out, what with the fact that they didn't care for each other and all_).

Seeing himself and the Avatar transformed into a black and white photograph changes something in him. That's the moment he makes up his mind. He's going to become the Chief of Police. He's going to put away many criminals and clean up Republic City and be the hero.

Decisively, Bolin takes the last swig of his cold coffee, closes the paper, and bends his uniform on. He's going to change and become someone worthy of the Avatar.

Worthy of Korra.


	20. Tremble smut

**AN:** Hey, look, smut.

* * *

She's stretched out on the bed, hair lazily flowing about her shoulders, wearing absolutely nothing but her betrothal necklace. Eyes hooded. Watching him.

Bolin drops his helmet.

Korra smirks and casually rubs one calf against the other. "Well?" she prompts.

He sputters for words. "I- you- uh-"

"Shh." His fiancee gets up off the bed and pads over to him. The moonlight streams through the window, wrapping around her gloriously naked body. She certainly looks the part of a smoldering temptress. Korra reaches him and unbuckles his belt. It slips from around his waist and clatters to the floor.

He's motionless, paralyzed. Korra frowns while she tugs at his gauntlets. "You're going to have to teach me how to metalbend someday. Help me out?"

They've never done anything like this before. Sex with Korra is amazing every time, of course, but he's used to having control. She's never managed to completely disarm him. Until now.

He decides to let her have her fun and obediently bends the gauntlets off.

"The rest of your armor. Off."

"Bossy, are we?" Again, he follows orders, using metalbending to unfasten the plates of armor, neatly hanging everything on the coathook in the corner of the room.

Korra leisurely kisses the crook of his neck, and goosebumps erupt everywhere on his body. She smirks. The vixen knows just what buttons to push.

Her kisses grow a little bolder, sloppy and wet, leading up to his ear. Bolin's patience has worn thin and he growls, forcefully turning her head so he can delve into her mouth.

She lets him kiss her and sighs, running her fingers over the rough cloth of his undershirt. Korra brings her hands up to the back of his neck and tugs a little bit, making him break away from her so she can tear the shirt over his head.

While he's distracted, Korra shoves him over so he lands on their bed.

Bolin manages to untangle himself from the shirt to find Korra crawling over him, coming to sit on his hips. She pins his wrists down.

He frowns. "Korra… we've tried this."

She's not fazed in the least. "I know. You kept breaking everything."

Korra reaches behind her neck and unties her betrothal necklace.

"Why-"

"Shh." It's the second time she's shushed him. He obeys, wide-eyed, curious. Korra ties the dark blue ribbon around his wrists. "I will be very, _very_ upset if you rip this."

His eyes go wide. "Vixen!" he breathes, but allows her to suck on his pulse point.

Giving up the control is hard - his fingers already ache to touch her - but strangely exhilarating. It's a breath of fresh air in their relationship, and he supposes that, with the wedding a few weeks away, learning new things can't be too bad.

Korra lightly runs her tongue down his neck and around his chest, pausing to nip in places with her teeth. It's something she's wanted to do for a while, but Bolin being, well, _Bolin_, it was hard keeping him down.

He squirms when she swirls around his navel, tracing all the hardened muscles of his abdomen. His pants have already grown painfully tight.

He's breathing hard, sweating, his arms trembling with the effort not to break the flimsy ribbon just to touch Korra. She notices the sweat beading at his brow and crawls back up his body to kiss it away.

Bolin is positively shaking, his mouth set into a thin line. "_Please_, Korra."

She smirks. "I could get used to this."

Still looking into his eyes, Korra's hands trail down to the waistband of his pants. She unfastens them and hooks her thumbs inside, slipping his underwear and pants down simultaneously. He sighs with relief once he's released from their confines and kicks them off, across the room.

Korra takes him into her hands, pumping gently. They've experimented with oral, but she could never get over her gag reflex, and he hated making her uncomfortable. So, this action, mutually beneficial, has replaced it.

He throws his head back, and she, too, begins to feel herself losing it just from the sensation of his erection in her hands. He's getting too close to the brink, positively shaking.

Korra lets go and reaches up to his bound wrists. "You did great. I'm proud of you," she praises, kissing his lips lightly and untying the necklace.

Arms free, Bolin immediately ties it back around her neck and flips them so he's over her. She grins.

"You're mine now, Miss Avatar," he says, rubbing the tip of his nose against hers.

"I've always been yours," Korra responds seriously, breaking the light mood. She means it. For the few months she dated Mako, this man here was her biggest _What If?_ He was there for her when she needed him, especially when she broke up with his brother. When she first kissed him, he didn't even hesitate for a moment to kiss her back, clearly crazy about only _her_, not torn between two girls. If she hadn't known she'd fallen in love before, she certainly found out in that moment.

His gaze softens and he kisses her again, a gentle, tender kiss on her lips. She wraps her legs around him and nudges him forward with her knees. He easily slips inside of her, stretching, filling. Korra throws her head back from the sensation.

"Go on," she urges.

He moves faster, harder, knowing that she likes it rough. Her hips meet him thrust for thrust. Bolin sits on his knees, gripping her hips and tilting them up.

In this modified position, he reaches deeper inside of her. Breaking his focus from his task, Bolin glances at Korra, and sees that she is flexing and relaxing her fingers, grabbing at the sheets. She's biting her lip. Hard.

While he's pleased to be the cause of her ecstasy, he doesn't like that she's holding back.

"Come on, Korra. This isn't the island," he grunts. "Nobody will hear us."

As wildly hormonal, impulsive teenagers living in the same place, they'd done this just about everywhere imaginable. The risk of being discovered was thrilling, but it had also trained them to be fast and silent. That doesn't work so well now that they are engaged, living together, alone.

She whimpers, then screams when he rubs at her clit.

Korra's now letting loose all the small sounds she's been holding back, whether they be sighs, or moans, or full on screams. Bolin is immensely pleased, and a grin quirks at the corners of his lips.

He thrusts a little faster, the pace becoming frantic while he feels his control slipping. She's getting close, too, her breathing sharp and jagged. When she climaxes, screaming out his name and scrabbling at his back, he follows suit soon after.

They collapse on the bed, exhausted. He looks at the ceiling for a moment, then over at his fiancee.

"I should let you take over more often, huh?"


	21. Sunset

"D- don't- !"

Korra grabs desperately at Bolin's hand, but he coldly shakes her off.

"I'm leaving, Korra. That's it."

She can't believe what she's hearing. The thought of no longer having happy green eyes, escapades with fruit pies, random spars, or endless heart-to-hearts to look forward to is just too much to wrap her mind around. He's Bolin. He's part of her life, and he can't just…_leave_.

"But…"

He cuts her off. "I have to do something for myself for once. I'm done waiting for you here like a lovesick puppy! And if traveling the world is what I have to do to get away, then so be it."

Korra drops his hand in surprise. "Why didn't you ever say anything to me?"

He stops in his tracks and whirls around to face her. "Did I not make myself clear enough, Korra? I brought you gifts. I took you on a date. I let you into my life because you were _special_! I really cared about you." His voice has softened from the shout, and his eyes have grown sad.

He cared about her. She'd never really appreciated all the gestures he'd made for her, and looking back, they were all very sweet, and very romantic. But she'd been too caught up in the mystery that was Mako.

Bolin turns around again, his duffel swinging over his back. In a move of desperation, Korra runs in front of him, flings her arms around his neck, and passionately kisses him.

Fireworks explode behind her eyelids, the moment is perfect. She hears his duffel drop to the ground and waits for him to pull her closer.

He doesn't.

Bolin puts his hands on Korra's shoulders and pushes her away, his eyes angry. "I am not going to be strung along anymore, Korra!"

She blinks, confused, desperate, and hurt. "I'm not-"

"Save it. You are," he hisses.

He moves to pick the duffel back up, but she puts a boot over it.

Gathering up her confidence before the blazing green eyes, she states, "No. I love you and I'm not letting you out of my life so easily."

His mouth tightens, but she can see the hurt and hope welling up in his eyes. "You don't mean that."

"You accepted me before knowing who I was. You loved me for _me_, all the things I've never shared with anyone else. You're my rock and comfort. I love _you_," she says, stepping forward and jabbing his chest with her finger for emphasis, "and only you. What do I have to do to prove it?"

He stares at her for another moment, seemingly conflicted. She takes initiative and grabs the front of his shirt, forcing another kiss on him. He responds aggressively after another beat of hesitation, gripping her hips tightly and lifting her so she wraps her legs around his waist. His mouth probes hers, a hard kiss full of promise and regret and hope. She knows he's still hesitant about this, but she'll be damned if he slips through her fingers again. The sun has set on their time as simply friends - it's time to rise as lovers.

When they break apart, gasping for breath, she presses her forehead against his.

"So," she pants, cheeks flushed and lips already swelling, "are you going to stay?"

His lips tug up at the corners. "I think I just might."


	22. Mad

Korra cries out and grips her husband's hand even harder. At this point, it's turning light purple and there's probably a few things broken, but he doesn't care.

"I _hate_ you!" she spits out. "I'm never letting you _touch_ me again!"

"Okay, Korra," Bolin soothes, dabbing at her sweaty brow with a cold washcloth.

She grits her teeth as another contraction squeezes her, her face contorted in pain. Bolin feels absolutely helpless, able to do nothing but support her as she goes through this awful process.

When it stops, she gasps for breath, and directs more fury at him. "_You_ did this to me!"

He knows better than to argue. "I did," he agrees. "Just hold on, baby. You can do it."

Master Katara, Senna, and a few other village healers are in the hut. Korra's mother holds her other hand and gives the hulking earthbender a sympathetic smile. He gives her a weak one in return, then focuses back on Korra's face.

Katara pushes up her sleeves. "Okay, when the next contraction hits, I want you to push as hard as you possibly can."

The Avatar nods frantically. "Okay. Okay."

She follows instructions, and Bolin can see just how much effort she's putting forth.

"Don't forget to breathe!"

Her eyes whip to the side to glare at him, like she can't believe he had the gall to speak to her, but she can't find it in herself to make another cutting remark.

Two pushes later, Korra slumps backwards, and the wails of a newborn fill the hut. "It's a girl."

"You did great," Bolin says, kissing her brow. Perhaps now he can go lose consciousness like he's wanted to all night.

She laughs a little. "Please, go on. I enjoy praise."

Master Katara hands him a bundle of blankets, which he promptly passes to his wife. She looks her child full in the face for the first time.

"Hey, Jin," she coos. The baby stops crying, hiccuping slightly, and opens her eyes to peer at her parents.

Startling green looks up at them.


	23. Thousand

AN: This takes place in the brawler!Bolin AU, which I adore completely. If you're not familiar with it, the basic premise is that Mako is in a coma, and his medical bills are too expensive for his little brother. To earn the money, Bolin fights in underground brawls, which is exclusively for nonbenders. He pretends to be one and hides his earthbending.

* * *

"I hate this."

"I know."

Korra's wiping the blood off of Bolin's face, mindful of his shattered nose. He looks awful, and no amount of healing power will prevent the harsh black eyes he'll be sporting tomorrow.

He closes his eyes at her tender touch, very grateful to have at least one person in the world who cares about him. Korra's there for him whenever he needs her, which is becoming quite often. Her waterbending is probably the only thing keeping him in the brawls. Earning money for Mako.

She bends some glowing blue water over his face and fights not to cry, hearing the wet crunch of his bones mending back together. Seeing him like this - bloodied, bruised, broken - is almost too much for her.

She moves on from his face to his hands. Carefully unraveling the tape, she assesses the damage. "I just…" Korra swallows thickly, keeping her emotions in check, "I just never know if you'll come back."

Korra holds his hand while she fixes his knuckles.

What can he say? "I'm sorry."

He means it. He hates that the brawls worry Korra so much, but there's really nothing else he can do to earn the money for Mako's medical bills. He's alone.

She sighs, finishing up her work on his knuckles and ribs. "All this for a thousand yuans." Korra shakes her head.

He hangs his head, but soon feels the soft touch of her lips against his cheek.

"Just… be careful."

With that, she leaves his bedroom, leaving the door just slightly open so a sliver of light falls across his face.


	24. Outside

Bolin shuffles along, looking at his feet. He bumps into several other citizens of Republic City along the way, leaving a short, clipped apology in his wake. He's doing his best not to think of Korra and his brother, together. The two people he loves most in the world.

He should be happy for them. They're clearly in love, always kissing and rubbing noses and saying the grossest things to each other. But it makes him sick to his stomach. Korra would be so much happier if she'd just given him a chance. He wants to sweep her off her feet and spar and have five amazingly beautiful, strong, talented kids.

He shoves his hands in his pockets, fighting not to cry again over her. _I don't have feelings for her. I don't have feelings for her_, he repeats in his head like a mantra.

He's so distracted that he almost doesn't notice the voice from a nearby alley, one saying dirty things. He whips his head to the side and stares. He knows that voice anywhere.

Mako has some random girl pressed against the slimy wall, her red curls spreading while he sucks on her face. She moans, and Bolin snaps into action, grabbing the back of Mako's shirt in a moment of white hot rage.

"What the _hell_, Mako?" he spits. "Can't stay monogamous for more than a few weeks?"

He half expects Mako to defend himself, but he instead crosses his arms, glaring coldly. "This is none of your business."

"I'll just… I'll just…" The redheaded girl scurries past them and onto the street, hiding her face from the searing rays of the sun.

Bolin feels the anger welling up inside of him. All the resentment, all the buried emotions come boiling to the surface. "The hell it isn't! I let you get away with cheating on Asami, but this is Korra._Korra_. Is she not good enough for you?"

Mako flinches, his expression flickering between rage and cool aloofness. "What she doesn't know won't - _agh_!"

Bolin's fist connects with his brother's jaw, the sickening sound of flesh on flesh reverberating off the walls. His knuckles sting, but the red mark on Mako's face will last much longer.

"You're telling Korra," he orders, staring Mako down, his nostrils flared and eyes full of promise. He doesn't have to mention what will happen if he doesn't.

Pivoting on his heel, Bolin stalks away, down the street. Mako holds his injured jaw and watches him.

—

"Hey, sw- what happened?"

Korra rushes over to her boyfriend, reaching for the dark bruise spreading across his jaw and cheek. She knows a wound from a punch when she sees one - but she's never seen it this dark. Someone was putting everything behind the blow.

"Korra, we have to talk."


	25. Winter

"Mommy, look!"

Jin tries to wave her arms, motion restricted by the bulky hand-me-down parka she has on. She manages to make a small mound of snow rise until it's formed a lumpy figure of some kind of animal. Pleased with her work, she beams at her mother.

"That's great, sweetheart," Korra encourages, happy that her daughter is finally accepting that she's a waterbender, not the earthbender she so desperately longed to be. _Because I want to be like daddy_, she'd whine whenever asked.

Bolin comes out of her parents' house with a squirming Toza in his arms. He puts him in the snow to play with his sister and drops beside Korra, planting a kiss in her hair. "Hey, cupcake. How are you feeling?"

She groans a little and rests her hands over her familiar swollen belly. "I feel like I'm eight months pregnant with a rabaroo."

He offers a sympathetic smile. "Baby keeps kicking you?"

"Yup. These two definitely feel like earthbenders. Guess your gene is finally passing on."

"Yes, that's what I'm talking abou- did you say two?"

She smirks at him, his expression frozen in place. "Oh, did I forget to tell you? Master Katara said we're having twins this time."

He doesn't even react when Jin and Toza begin to pelt him with snowballs.


	26. Diamond

"Girls like jewelry, right?"

Mako rolls his eyes and stuffs his hands in his pockets. A child bumps against his legs, and he gruffly mutters an apology before stepping further off the street. "I think so. But, Bo, can't you just ask her on a date already? You don't have to do the whole gifts thing when you're just friends."

"Korra… she's special." A goofy grin tugs at Bolin's cheeks just thinking about the strong, funny, hotheaded, beautiful Avatar. "I like giving her things, even if we're not dating."

"Suit yourself." Mako pats his brother's shoulder and slings the grocery bag over his back. "See you at home."

Distracted by the beautiful wares the jewelry vendor has set out on his table, Bolin calls out a, "Bye," and picks up a bracelet. No, she always has arm bracers on. It wouldn't look right.

Next, he investigates a thin silver necklace with a dainty diamond hanging from it. It's perfectly simple and pretty, but the color would never look right on Korra. Besides, he can't afford it.

He's about to give up and leave when the vendor notices him. "Hey, I know that look. You got a special lady?"

Bolin perks up. "Yeah, I do!"

He gives a knowing smirk. "Ready to take the next step?"

Nervously fiddling with his fingers, Bolin answers, "Yeah. She's… she's perfect."

The vendor studies him a little longer, rubbing his chin, trying to get a feel for the boy and his girl. "Hm… where's she from?"

"The Southern Water Tribe."

"Water Tribe!" The vendor exclaims. He reaches below the table and pulls out a necklace to show Bolin. It's a choker made of dark blue satin, a polished light blue stone attached in the center. "You'll want to give her this. On the stone here, you carve a design. Unique to you and her. There's no way she can say no!"

Bolin's too caught up in the thrill of seeing the perfect piece of jewelry for Korra to notice the vendor's strange choice of words. He rubs the satin between his fingers and imagines what it will look like resting against her throat.

"How much?"

"Three thousand yuans."

Bolin's face falls, and the vendor immediately takes pity on him. The poor guy is trying to propose to his girlfriend - they must be only just starting out. No money.

"Well… can you do one thousand?"

The vendor clicks his tongue. Such a shame to let the necklace go at such a low cost. "Two thousand."

"Fifteen hundred."

"Seventeen fifty."

"Deal!"

Bolin and the vendor shake hands heartily, and he places it in a box for him. Sliding it across his table of wares, the vendor winks at Bolin. "Let me know what she says."

"What?"

But the vendor has moved on to the next customer. Shrugging, Bolin picks up his parcel and makes his way back home, trying to think of the perfect way to give this to Korra.


	27. Letters

_Dear Korra,_

_Ba Sing Se is amazing. I just know you'd love it here. The place is always bustling, but without all the bright lights and stuff that we have at home._

_I began metalbending training today, and they're already impressed with my progress. I can feel the impurities in the metal, just like Sifu Beifong used to say. I like to think that she's proud of me, even though she'll never say it._

_I miss everyone so much. Especially you. Tell them I say hello. And give Naga and Pabu a scratch for me. I'll be home before you know it._

_Bolin._

—

_Dear Bolin,_

_When are you coming home_

_It's miserable without you_

_I haven't smil_

_I love_

Frustrated, Korra throws down her pen, pressing her face into her hands. The hot tears are already filling up her eyes, trickling out the sides to silently slide down her cheeks.

A year. One year of separation. And she's cracked after a month. The tender aches of love grip her heart, suffocating her in this darkness now that the light of her life is gone. She can't eat. Nightmares plague her at night, and there is no warm body to wrap around hers, comfort her, offer protection on the coldest night. Without him, she's lost.

The words unspoken swirl around in her head. Cowardly. She'd never had the courage to say what she needed to. _I miss you. I need you. I love you._

After everything she went through to finally see the light, that he's the one for her. Her other half, who completes her, two hearts beating in unison, quiet joy in every moment together. And he just left.

Wiping away pesky, stinging tears, she picks up her pen again.

_Please come home soon or I will drag you here myself._

_Korra._

—

_Dear Korra,_

_I knew you'd miss me eventually. Don't worry, I'm making great progress! I was able to put a dent in some steel last week. The teachers say I should be a master within a few months._

_Tell me about how all the Avatar stuff is going. You putting away bad guys? Going all glowy? Just going to say it again, I think that is the coolest thing in the world. You really are amazing._

_I miss you, and I'm working really hard to be home as soon as possible. _

_Bolin._

—

_Dear Bolin,_

_That's great! Soon you'll be zipping around with those metal cables like the rest of the police force. We put away a couple bank robbers the day before I got your letter. They were mostly afraid of Naga, even though she was just sniffing them because they smelled funny._

_I haven't gone glowy lately. Master Tenzin says it's because I'm missing some piece of the puzzle, whatever that means. I hope that it works out eventually. Talking to Aang would be pretty helpful right now._

_Mako and Asami are back together, and they look happy. Really happy. They're looking at places in the city. It's going to be lonely here without you, especially when the airbenders all go visit the South Pole. They won't let me come along because I have a "duty to Republic City."_

_Come home. That's not a request._

_Korra._

—

She prays to the Spirits that she was able to cover up her raw longing and anguish as she hands the letter over to the postal carrier.

—

_Dear Korra,_

_I hope you find this "missing piece." Sounds important._

_Mako and Asami, back together, huh? I should've seen it coming. I'd like to say that I'm happy for them, but things were pretty tangled between the four of us when I left. Guess a lot has happened since then. Send my love._

_My metalbending is going great and I've been moved to advanced lessons. I'll be done in a month or so, and I'll try as hard as I possibly can to come home and see you._

_Give Pabu a scratch for me. How's he doing without his master?_

_Bolin._

—

_Dear Bolin, _

_Well, Asami and your brother could tell that I was in love with you from the start._

Angry with herself for slipping, Korra pauses. She'll cross that out later.

_Things are working out between them, and I'm glad to see them where they belong. They bought their apartment downtown, and Mako's doing his work in the firebending division of the police while she brings Future Industries back up. By the way, do you want a Satomoblie when you get back? She says there are too many sitting around the mansion._

_Pabu is distressed without you here, I'll say that. He spends a lot of time with Naga. A little too much time if you ask me. I'm feeding him extra treats and he's gaining a little weight. I hope you don't mind._

_Master that metal and the police academy. I need someone to practice earthbending with._

_Korra._

—

"Korra! We're leaving!"

Startled, Korra drops her brush. She quickly folds up the letter, tucks it in an envelope, and seals it shut. Handing it to Pema, she asks, "Could you give this to the postal carrier for me, if you see him?"

"Of course." Pema shifts baby Rohan around in her arms to take the letter. She passes both up to Tenzin on Oogi, then climbs up herself. The children exchange good-byes with Korra and join their parents.

She waves while they depart, loneliness stabbing her heart.

—

The telephone rings two weeks later.

Tenzin's telephone _never_ rings.

She picks it up, pressing the earpiece to the side of her face. She's not entirely sure how to answer, so she says, "Air Temple Island."

"Tell me you meant it."

Her stomach fills with ice at the achingly familiar voice. "Bolin? Is that you?"

Eagerly, Korra holds both pieces of the telephone closer, like that will bring the boy before her.

"You said you loved me. Did you mean it?"

Chills run down her spine as she realizes what he's saying. She never crossed out that first line of the letter.

"I… I…"

On the other end, Bolin exhales deeply. "Look, Korra," he says, sounding completely and utterly broken. "You tore me apart once, and I can't handle that again. So just tell me: do you love me?"

"Yes."

It's so quiet, she's not even sure it came out of her mouth.

"Yes?"

"Yes."

Louder this time.

"Korra," he sighs. "You have no idea how long I've wanted you to say that."

A strangled laugh erupts in her throat. "I've been waiting to say it for months!"

"Months?" he exclaims. "Spirits! Why did you let me leave then? You _know_ I would've stayed. For you."

"You had to do this for yourself."

He exhales again. "Well," he says, determined, "I'll just have to work harder so I can get home to you sooner."

She half-smiles, and is certain that he does, too. "I've waited for you for almost a year, Bo. I can wait a little longer."

"I don't think I can."

The raw emotion laces through his words, and Korra shivers.

"I love you, Bolin."

He sucks in a deep breath, and she can almost see him, eyes closed, holding the telephone in a way very similar to how she is now. "I love you too. I'll be home soon. I promise."

With that, the line disconnects. She hangs up the earpiece and collapses into Tenzin's office chair, giddy and light-headed.

—

He said this was the day he'd be home.

He _promised_.

It's been another agonizingly long month since her confession, and she'd received a telegram from him yesterday. _Will be back October 7 STOP I love you STOP_

She holds the telegram in her hands and paces viciously back and forth before the large bay window in the dining room of Air Temple Island. Several air acolytes pass and regard her strangely, but her mind is too fixated to notice them.

One sits her down, forcing chopsticks into her hands so she can eat noodles and dumplings. Her favorite.

She finds that it tastes dull without him.

It's nightfall, and she crawls into bed, hot, angry tears slipping down her cheeks to soak the pillow. Disappointment fills her mouth with a sour, metallic taste. This is why she chooses to let so few people close to her heart - being let down is the worst emotion she can feel.

So wrapped up in herself is she that she almost blocks out the sounds of sailors at the dock.

Korra sits bolt upright in bed, and sure enough, she can see them docking the ship beneath the moon.

And climbing off is the one person she's longed for for a year.

Running, running, crashing through time and space to reach him in her desperation. He casts aside a large duffel and opens his arms to catch her as they collide on the path up to the main house.

He's kissing her everywhere he can reach, her fingers twisted into his longer dark hair to hold him close. When their lips inevitably find each other, it's like electric shock, a pulse of love spreading throughout both of them.

He moves against her like satin, lips leaving worshipping whispers on hers, letting his tongue softly stroke with hers when she grips the sides of his face and opens her mouth.

It's over soon, much too soon. She pants and rests her forehead against his, soaking up his presence. His hands support the undersides of her legs, wrapped around his waist, clinging to him like a lifeline. Like she'll never be able to get physically close enough to him.

"So," he says, rubbing his nose against hers and delighting in the way she opens her eyes, bright with hope and want and trust and _love_. "I take it you missed me."

She laughs, a hearty, belly laugh, swelling up her throat and out her mouth to fill the air around them. "You could say that."


	28. Promise

They move together, two halves of the whole, the slick push and pull attempting to erase the memories of the past.

It doesn't work.

When Korra cries out, her back arching up, he kisses the sweat off her brow. Lovingly, tender, careful to keep his weight off of her.

When he rolls over to the side, she senses that something's wrong. His eyes are downcast. Sad. Hunched over into himself.

Korra sits up, wrapping her arms around him from behind, although she's unable to get as close as she once was. She nuzzles into the junction of his shoulder and neck, asking, "What is it?"

"What if something had happened to you?"

She's taken aback. "Bolin, I was _fine_."

"No." Her husband abruptly turns, facing her, taking both of her hands. Light slanting in the windows glances off of his bare skin, highlighting the almost-healed scar over his ribs. "Korra, I don't know what would've happened if I wasn't there. And we can't just be thinking about the two of us anymore!"

He lowers a hand to cover the bump, the tiny being pushing back. Korra looks down too, at this product of their love, their miracle, their _baby_, growing inside of her stomach. And it hits her - what would she do if something happened to it? Spirits, what would Bolin do without them?

He keeps his hand over her belly and sighs, "Just promise me you'll be careful. For the both of you."

"I promise."


	29. Simple

"What about Miyuki?"

"No."

"Yulduz?"

"No."

"Korra!"

"Hey, that has a nice ring to it."

Bolin sighs and sets down the list of girls' names he'd scribbled the characters for at the station. Each one has been struck through by his brush, splatters of ink on his fingers. Korra lounges with her feet in his lap, absently stroking the mound of her belly. The baby shifts, brushing against her spine. She tenses, but the discomfort soon passes.

Bolin rests his hand over her belly, too, feeling the heartbeat. "We have to pick a name for her soon, Korra."

She's due to give birth any day now. "I know," she says, weary. "But… I want her to have a good name. A strong one. But simple - this is the kid of the _Avatar_ and _Chief Lau_. She's not going to have a simple life."

He taps the clean end of the brush against his lips, a fond smile playing at the corners. "My mother's name was Mei Lin. What do you think?"

"Oh, Bo…" She takes his hand in hers. "I think you should keep that name just for her."

"Yeah. You're right."

They sit in quiet silence together for a few minutes, Bolin remembering the green of his mother's eyes and her musical laugh, Korra doing her best to imagine her mother-in-law. The familiar ache tugs at her heartstrings as she's reminded that she'll never get to meet the man and woman who brought Mako and Bolin into the world. She'll never get to hear any of their stories.

Gran Gran used to tell a lot of stories. She was quite an interesting woman.

Korra instantly perks up. "Bolin, have I ever told you about my grandmother?"

He purses his lips and thinks. "No, I don't think you have."

"She lived in the Earth Kingdom. Ba Sing Se, actually."

"You're part Earth Kindgom?"

"Yeah," she laughs. "Hard to believe, I know. Maybe that's where I get my stubbornness. Anyways, she lived in Ba Sing Se until she was about seventeen. A little before she left, she went on a date with this one boy."

"Your grandfather?" She has captured Bolin's complete attention. He eagerly leans forward.

"Actually, no. He said his name was Lee. He and his uncle were part of a traveling circus. He was the juggler."

"Juggler," he repeats in disbelief.

"Juggler. Gran Gran said it was one of the best nights of her life. They had noodles and went to a beautiful firelight fountain."

"Hmm," Bolin hums. "Sounds familiar."

Korra catches him grinning at her and blushes. "Are you going to let me tell the story or not, Bo?"

He puts his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. I promise I'll be quiet."

"Lee kissed her, but abruptly left. She never saw him again."

"Oh."

"I thought you said you'd be quiet."

"Go on. Go on."

"A couple months later, she was traveling south with a group of singing nomads. I think one's name was Chong. They stopped in a little village with a fortuneteller, and she happened to glance at a copy of the newspaper.

"Lee was on the cover. Well, a very good drawing of him, anyways. And he was standing with Avatar Aang. It turned out that my grandmother went on a date with Fire Lord Zuko while he was in exile!"

Bolin whistles. "She sounds amazing."

"She was. Gran Gran eventually wandered to the Southern Water Tribe. She met my grandfather, they had mom, and well… here I am."

"That was a great story, Korra. A really nice one. But, what made you think of it?"

She smiles to herself. "Gran Gran had a nice name. A strong one. A simple one.

"Her name was Jin."

"Jin," Bolin muses. He tries out the name on his tongue. "Jin. Lau Jin. Yeah. I like that Korra."

He leans over, tugging up Korra's shirt, and presses a kiss to her warm belly. "Looks like you've got a name, kiddo."


	30. Future

His hands tremble, his teeth chatter together. Moistening his lips once again, he glances around the room, eyebrows drawn together. The guests don't seem to notice his discomfort and quietly titter amongst themselves. There's not many, perhaps fifty; just the people closest to them, who really matter. The media and the public have no place here.

Awkwardly, Bolin shifts his weight and tugs at the cuffs of his tuxedo, sure that they're much too tight. His collar is restricting, too, and the temperature seems to be rising.

Waiting. The thing he hates most in the world.

When the small group of musicians begins to play, it gets a few degrees hotter. Jinora is first, followed by Asami, who glows in her matron of honor gown. She's heavily pregnant, due to give birth any day now. His brother escorts her.

Last is Korra. He sucks in a breath, eyes wide, and all his tension rolls off in waves.

She's an unearthly being, dark skin beneath a simple gown of palest blue, tiny flowers braided into her hair. Only 21, she shines with youth and power, her past and future lives sharing in this, the most important day of her life so far. Even hundreds of years from now, someone will look at white roses and vaguely remember a bouquet in slender hands, focusing on emerald green and dimpled cheeks.

All wrapped into Korra. Walking on her father's arm towards him._Him_.

She reaches him and he's not sure if he can remember how to breathe.

Tonraq gives her away, and the first touch of Bolin's skin on hers sends electricity straight to his spine. She flushes, ducking her head, and he knows she felt it too. Their trust and love, bringing them to this, total unity. Two people in one.

The ceremony is a blending of their cultural backgrounds; elements of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom from him, and the Water Tribe and Air Nomad customs from her. She wears the betrothal necklace he spent weeks carving for her, laboring over the smallest details, determined to make it perfect. Resting in the hollow of her throat, the fully bloomed rose etched in the stone stands out.

His hands tremble when they exchange rings in the Earth Kingdom tradition. She wraps her fingers around his, a slight squeeze and half smile enough to let him slip the gold band around her fourth finger, a matching one put on him as well.

They're announced husband and wife, words he's been waiting to hear for longer than he can remember. They waste no time in reaching for each other's face, lips clashing, sealing their futures, destinies, fates, in one lingering kiss.


End file.
